africanlegalstudies.blog – Cutting edge analysis on key issues in African politics, law and development

Women’s Land Rights in Sierra Leone: Examining the 2022 Customary Land Act through the Lens of International Law and Legal Pluralism
Introduction Despite legal recognition of women’s rights in Sierra Leone, they faced significant barriers to land ownership. Discriminatory laws, social norms, and customs hinder their access. This article examines how the 2022 Customary Land Act, analyzed through international law and legal pluralism, will be used to address these challenges and empower women by improving their…
Law and Literature: Existentialist Views on Legal Pluralisms in Algeria
At the Chair of African Legal Studies, we recently discussed socio-legal approaches to law, talking about what, in the end, is legally binding. On this occasion, I remembered a novel I read a couple of years back called ‘l’hôte’. The author, Albert Camus, is widely regarded as a prominent existentialist philosopher.[1] However, his work seemed…
Breaking Barriers: The Legal Struggles and Opportunities of Labor Migration Across Africa
Introduction Migration in Africa is more than a journey; it’s a dynamic intersection of hope, challenges, and opportunities. It acts as a place of origin, a transit point, and a destination for many individuals.[1] However, in addition, to searching for better opportunities, migrants face challenges like complicated legal processes, shifting borders, and altering regulations, which…

Environmental Law and Climate Justice: Case Study on the East African Crude Oil Pipeline – Branching Scenario Tool
Introduction Welcome to the Branching Scenarios Tool “Environmental Law and Climate Justice: Case Study on the East African Crude Oil Pipeline”! This digital tool was developed as part of a seminar held by the Chair of African Legal Studies at the University Bayreuth in winter term 2024/25. Students participated in a case study on the…
Environmental Impact Assessment in Rwanda: Legal Framework and Challenges
Introduction Environmental impact assessments are essential processes used to evaluate the potential effects of a proposed project on the environment before implementation. In Africa, their integration into national legislation varies significantly, but most countries recognize their importance for sustainable development. Rwanda’s environmental law, Article 6, states that “The principle of information dissemination and incentives for…
International law instruments for greenhouse gas mitigation and sustainable development in Nigeria
Introduction Climate change in Nigeria could, for example, be attributed to the production of fossil fuels in which greenhouse gases (GHGs) are emitted. [1] A decrease in the production of fossil fuels is likely to affect the development of Nigeria. Hence, as a member of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Nigeria will have…

Investment and Investor Protection in Somalia
Introduction With Somalia’s accession to the East African Community (EAC), the internal market of this community is also becoming increasingly attractive for foreign investments. A common market with over 300 million populations is developing, and there is not only a common internal market. It also has an excellent strategic location from the Indian Ocean to…
The East African Community: Past Experiences and Lessons for the Future
Introduction The East Africa Community (EAC) is one of the oldest regional economic blocs in the world.[1] Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, as members of EAC, had a customs union as early as 1927.[2] While this regional bloc collapsed in 1977, it was re-established in 2000 and grew from three to eight countries, including Uganda, Kenya,…
The Legal Analysis of Community Rights in Environment Decision-Making in the Federal Republic of Somalia
Introduction People often feel hopeless and powerless to protect the environment, themselves, their families and their individual rights. However, through the creative use of the law, a number of notable successes for the environment and people have been recorded in many countries.[1] Environmental decision-making in Somalia stands at the intersection of legal, social, and environmental considerations, with…